Friday, June 12, 2015

Better Bridge in Barry County June 18 2015


Better Bridge in Barry County


By Gerald Stein

 

 

 
North
  ---     
  --- 
  A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 
  --- 
 
West
  ---   
  --- 
  --- 
  A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 
 
East
  --- 
  A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 
  --- 
  --- 
 
South
  A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 
  --- 
  --- 
  --- 
 

 

 

Dealer:
Vulnerable:
Lead:
West
Both
A♣

 

North
 
7!
Pass
 
 
East
 
7!
Pass
South
 
7♠!
West
7♣!
Pass
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Scoring the Rubber Bridge Contract: Part 2


 

What bridge player would not want to have a hand like this? But because of the idiosyncrasies of bridge, it is South with the spade suit that will be the lucky winner of the contract and play it at 7♠, bidding and making. But bridge is made of three parts: Bidding, Playing/Defending, and Scoring. In this second of a two-part series, let’s examine how scoring in bridge is often overlooked and not easily understood, not only by beginning players but by players who have played many years. They sometimes allow others to keep score and seem to be missing out on an important part of the game. Part one of this series focused on Rubber Bridge scoring for games and part scores. Part Two will focus on slam scoring, doubles and redoubles.  

While Rubber Bridge is the technical name for the kind of bridge that most players enjoy either at homes of friends or relatives, it often has other names as well. Often called Social bridge, Kitchen bridge,  Contract Bridge, or other names, Rubber Bridge is the form of bridge that is easily picked up anywhere with as little as one table of four players. Scoring Rubber Bridge at the slam level is the purpose of this column.

Some basic reminders are in order for those who are new to the game of bridge and want to know about the scoring aspects. While we do use all 52 cards in the deck, we know that they are divided into four equal hands of 13 cards each. Each player receives her 13 cards and sorts them into the suits. In today’s hand, imagine the surprise and the laughter when the Bridge instructor arranged this artificial hand. Each one thought that they would be the winning hand, but because our four suits are ranked in order, it is the lowly clubs that bids first, then the diamonds, and then the hearts, and the ultimate winner is the spade suit. Of course, an easy way to remember the ranking of the suits is by their alphabetical order: C, D, H, and S.

While there are thirteen tricks to be taken in each hand of bridge, we know that the first six are a basic requirement. Called Book, before we can make a bid, we know and understand that we must take the first six tricks and then our numerical bid. Thus, the highest bid that we can make to take all 13 tricks is not 13, but Book plus 7 which equal the 13 tricks bid and won. In today’s hand, no matter what the lead from West, and no matter how impressive dummy’s diamonds are, they will never be used. South will trump the opening A♣ lead and play one spade after another claiming all 13 tricks and making a grand slam in bridge.

The bidding and the playing and defending are over. Now for the scoring of today’s hand. Wherever do we start? Rubber Bridge and other forms of bridge basically use the same format for scoring tricks bid and made. The major suits of hearts and spades, the minor suits of diamonds and clubs, and the no trump hands all are assigned points to be used in reaching the score of 100 for a game. Tricks above our Book of Six bid and made for the majors of hearts and spades are worth 30 points each. We therefore need Book plus four more tricks to reach 100 or over. Tricks above our Book of Six bid and made for the minors of clubs and diamonds are worth 20 points each. We therefore need Book plus five more tricks to reach 100. In No Trump, the points are set as follows: the first trick above our Book of Six bid and made in No Trump is worth 40 points. The second, third and so on are each worth 30 points. So a 3NT contract of Book plus 3 tricks bid and made will score 100 points and make game.

In Rubber Bridge, a rubber is completed when one team has won two games. If the opponents have won one game, and your team has won one game, then it goes to the best of three. The winner of the two games is generally the winner of the rubber as extra points are added to the score card for winning in the form of bonuses. If your side wins a two-game rubber, your side adds 700 bonus points to your side of the ledger. If it is a three-game rubber, then the winner of the two games will receive a 500 point bonus.

Finally, scoring a small slam, or in today’s case, scoring a grand slam for the North/South team, there are additional bonus points to add to your side of the scorecard. If you are vulnerable which means your side has won one game towards rubber, then you can expect to receive an additional 1500 points on your side if you bid and make the grand slam. If you make a small slam, then you can expect to receive 750 points. If you are not vulnerable and make a small slam, you will receive 500 points and if you are non vulnerable and make a grand slam, you will receive 1000 points.

So, to score today’s hand and see how many points they have earned, let’s do the math. We know that both sides are vulnerable, so expect the most points possible on this hand. South bid and made, which is always the key element, bid and made, and took 7 tricks above the Book of Six. Seven times 30 points for each spade trick equals 210 points. Since both sides are vulnerable, we know that both sides have won one game each of the three-set rubber. So for making two out of three games, North South will receive a bonus of 500 points. Now we are up to 710 points. For the grand slam bonus, bid and made, vulnerable to boot, North/South will receive 1500 additional points.

In addition, in Rubber Bridge, honor points are counted if they are claimed! For having all of the top five trump honors, claim an extra 150 points. Today’s South remembered to claim the honors, and she added the 150 to all of the bonus points. The grand total for North South as they complete this hand: 2360 plus whatever they earned on the previous game bid and won. East/West will also add up their paltry points, but they will be nowhere near to compete with North/South.

Double and redouble are also important parts of the bridge scoring. Easily understood, a business double or a penalty double from the defenders announces that they think you will not make your contract. If they, in fact, do set your contract, expect to pay twice the penalty as you would have. If you feel confident that they are wrong, you may redouble and then the penalties and/or rewards are figured at four times the normal result. Other uses have been developed by bridge gurus who use them with some unusual meanings since penalty doubles are not common. Redoubles are even less common.

Now if you are playing for money, and you are East and West, you might think that a penny a point might be a bit steep. Fortunately most bridge players play for fun and not for money. Learn the scoring and keep an eye on the scorecard if you have always allowed others to score for you. You will improve your game and keep your partner happy.

 

Gerald Stein

Number of words: 1387

June 12, 2015

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